It's a different me
by That Awkward DJ
Summary: "Tyler Joseph. Dissociative Identity Disorder. Think you can handle him, Dun?" "Yes, sir. Of course." My first twenty one pilots fic! Enjoy, clique!
1. My conscience wearing thin

Joshua Dun was walking through the halls of the asylum, looking for the room he was assigned to. His life was going differently than expected. He'd moved out of his parents' house, went to college and got a psychology degree, and landed a job at a local mental hospital, all before he was 30. With a bit of difficulty, he found ward B. The halls were all the same. White, sterile, dimly lit. The windows all were barred, and hardly let any natural light in. He noticed right away that ward B was different. There were no windows at all, and there was only one room, it seemed. While all the other rooms had heavy metal doors with locks, this one room had bars with a little room in between them rather than an actual door. It looked like a jail cell. As he was observing the bars, a slick, black hand reached out and grazed over his. He gasped and reeled back, falling flat on his bottom. A low chuckle radiated from the room.

" **Were you coming to see me?** " The deep voice didn't match the body. There was a very frail looking man standing there. His skin was pale, but for some reason, his neck and hands up to his forearms were pitch black. His hands gripped the sides of the bars. A very toothy, very crooked grin was on his face. That kind of smile that made people uncomfortable.

Josh stood himself up and gulped. "Ty-Tyler Joseph?" He asked quickly, briefly scanning over his clipboard. He was afraid.

" **Take another guess.** " His smile only grew as he slid his hands up and down on the bars. It left black goop on them. Josh silently wondered if it were actually blood, and that he couldn't see the red because of the poor lighting.

"My paper says you're Tyler...Am I in the wr-wrong ward?"

" **My name's Blurryface.** " His voice was almost a hum. " **Tyler is gone right now.** "

Josh nearly slapped himself with his own clipboard. God, he was an idiot. Multiple Personality Disorder, he _knew_ this.

'Blurryface' only smiled wider at Josh's realization. " **Can you come closer?** "

"Absolutely not." Josh stated quickly, shaking his head. "Nope, I've seen movies. Nope."

" **Aww, But _Joshy,_** " He started, hissing the other's name.

"How do you know my name?!" He was about to turn and high-tail it out of there, quit his job, change his name, and move to Mexico.

" **Nametag.** " Blurryface let out a dark laugh. " **I know they only allow nurses and doctors to come in when I'm Tyler. So come back later, yeah?** "

Josh observed him and gave a slow nod. "Um, alright. Yeah." He turned and began to swiftly walk away, thinking about what he'd experienced. Blurryface only laughed and turned back, shrinking away into the darkness of the cell.

* * *

It was now dinner time. It was Josh's duty to bring Tyler his food and get him to take his medication. He headed down the winding, dark hall again, plate in hand. He paused in front of the bars, trying to peer in. He squinted, eyes starting to adjust. There the other man sat, Indian-style on the floor, his skinny frame easily twisting to sit that way. Josh silently observed him and slid the plate through the slot on the door.

"There you go."

"Will you sit with me?" His voice wasn't like how it was earlier that day. It was raspy, faint. The blackness still covered part of him, and his eyes were wide, innocent looking. He looked straight into the nurse's eyes.

"I um, I don't know." Josh replied, nervously threading his fingers through his dyed pink hair. "I guess I'll have to come in eventually to give you your meds and stuff, right?" With that thought being spoken out loud, he decided to use the key in his pocket to open up the door. He stepped inside and closed the door behind himself, sitting across from Tyler at his small table.

"Thanks, we get lonely. At least, I do, I guess." Tyler muttered softly. He ate his food slowly, grimacing at the taste. "Not as good as mom's, that's for sure..." He commented, cracking a small smile that seemed genuine. Much unlike the grin Josh had witnessed earlier.

"I see...How long have you been here?" Josh asked curiously, watching him eat.

Tyler pushed a bit of the food around with his plastic fork. "Only about a month, I think." His dark hands were shaking, it looked like it was hard for him to even get the food in his mouth.

"Why do you have that black stuff on you?" He questioned, leaning forward a little to inspect it.

"It's paint. B-Blurry stole it from the art room. He wanted to uh, hide my scars." Tyler almost seemed shameful at that, and avoided eye contact while shoveling another forkful into his mouth. Josh's mouth hung open a little in realization.

"Sorry for asking. I was just uh, wondering...Since earlier when I saw you."

"I didn't see you earlier. I don't think I've ever seen you." Tyler responded with a fringed brow. "I like you though. Your hair reminds me of cotton candy."

"Oh, thanks." Josh chuckled. "Right then, I think I saw, eh, Blurryface? He told me that name."

Tyler looked up, eyes wide like saucers. "Don't ever do what he says. Please."

Josh nodded quietly, understanding. He stood up. "Hey, my shift is over in a few minutes take care." He stood up, patting him on the back. Tyler tensed up and swiftly bit down on Josh's arm before retracting himself as he heard the yelp.

"Gah! What the hell?!" He stumbled back in an afraid way, immediately letting himself out and slamming the bars closed. He pulled up his walkie-talkie radio and mumbled into it. "Code 3." He examined his bitten arm, shaking madly. and hissing in pain

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That wasn't me, I swear!" Soon, several nurses pooled into the room, a few leading Josh upstairs to the infirmary. Doctor Simillia exhaled and shook his head, looking in through the bars.

"Tyler," He sounded like a parent scolding a child. "Is that you?"

"Yes, sir." He mumbled in response, fidgeting a little bit. He nervously fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

"Did Blurry bite Nurse Josh?" His tone was condescending.

"Yes, sir..." Tyler covered his face with his sleeve.

"I'll go have a word with Josh." With that, the doctor walked out, his footsteps echoing.

* * *

Josh was cradling his now wrapped and disinfected arm. He felt like he just got bit by a zombie. Doctor Simillia entered and sat in a chair next to Josh. "He's usually harmless in the evening. Did you do something to trigger Blurryface to come out?"

"I just sat and talked to him a little. I patted him on the back and told him I'd-"

"No!" The doctor shook his head and brought a palm to his face. "You can't touch him! Weren't you told? Did you look through the notes we gave you?" Josh nervously shook his head. He sighed and stood up. "He can't handle contact if he doesn't initiate it himself. Sort of a stimulation overload, we're not sure right yet. But avoid it at all costs, you understand?"

"Yes, doctor." Josh nodded shortly, looking down at the floor.

"He really is a sweet kid, Dun. Don't let this discourage you." The doctor left, and Josh stood up, cringing at his slightly bloody scrubs. He clocked out of work and tiredly went home for the day.

* * *

Josh Dun happily walked to work, a Starbucks coffee in hand, and already donning fresh scrubs. He headed straight to Tyler's room, as he was supposed to, but he found the barred cell to be empty. He was confused by this, and turned on his heel to ask someone where he was, but as soon as he did so, he was met with quite a sight. A very displeased looking Tyler was strapped down in a wheel chair by his arms and legs, and two nurses were pushing him.

" **This is fucking ridiculous! I can walk on my own!** " He screamed at them, sending a sharp glare to each of them, so harsh that they both looked away. Josh observed him wiggling and yelling. He decided to help by opening the door to his room for them.

"Thanks..." A nurse muttered, wheeling in the screaming boy. Josh entered the room with them, staying near the door as they started taking the straps off him.

" **Oh, hey Joshy! Wanna eat dinner with me again? Heheheh...** " His laugh was dark, but loud. Obnoxious, even. The nurses must have seen Josh's concern, and one with blonde hair turned to him.

"He'll be Tyler again once he calms down a little. He's just riled up from the psychiatry evaluation." She told him, taking off the last strap. The two nurses rushed out as Blurryface stood. Obviously, Josh did the same. He didn't want to be bitten again. The lanky boy trotted over to the bars and reached a black arm through, so far that his face was pressed against them.

" **Come closer, won't you? You weren't afraid of me yesterday.** " Blurry huffed, swatting his hand in the general direction of Josh, who only backed away further.

"Tyler told me to never listen to you. My only job today is," He held the last word of his sentence while checking his schedule on the clipboard. "-To take _Tyler_ to the day room, and then give you dinner." Josh told him matter-o-factly. Blurryface scowled and shook the bars which made the door clank in a loud way.

" **C'mon! I see the key in your pocket! I could just snatch it and let myself out! Pleeeaaaase!** " His voice got louder in volume. " **You're a coward!** " He kept hitting the door, ramming himself into it, screaming, and finally, he tired out and allowed Tyler to take control. He slowly sunk down the side of the door, planting himself on the floor with his arms crossed in a closed off way.

"Sorry, Josh." His voice spoke up, soft and heartfelt. Josh smiled and walked over to him finally. He felt like Tyler was really a good guy.

"Ready to head to the day room, buddy?" He asked in a sweet way, unlocking and swinging open the barred door. Tyler quietly walked to him and gave a soft nod. He looked Josh up and down, he liked how kind he was to him. It seemed like he really cared. The two started walking the halls. The mental hospital was fairly large, and the day room happened to be on the other side, so it was a bit of a walk. Much to Josh's surprise, the boy reached out and poked him in his shoulder. It was a sign of affection in Tyler's mind. Contact was a very rare thing, and even the thought of sharing it with Josh meant a lot.

But, Josh didn't know this, of course. The steady wave of pokes and prods into his side was starting to annoy him. After about the fiftieth jab, Josh returned the gesture and lightly gave Tyler a poke back. Tyler shivered and tensed up, looking down at the ground before spitting a quick hiss at him. " **Don't touch me.** " He gripped his own arms roughly, as if he was cold and let out a dismal exhale.

"Okay, got it. Sorry." Josh replied, feeling rather dumb for making the same mistake twice in a row. The two were in violent silence for a bit before Tyler spoke up.

"I've never been to the day room. Is it nice?" He asked in a soft way.

"I think it's just where the patients go to socialize and make friends. I'm sure there are games and stuff." Josh answered, turning to him with a reassuring smile.

"You're my friend, right?" The question caught Josh off-guard, and he thought about it.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm actually your _caretaker_ but..." He trailed off, shrugging. Tyler stuck out his bottom lip in a childish pout.

"Oh." Was all he said before they were both quiet once again. It didn't last long since they made it to the day room. Josh opened up the door with a keycard. This place was no joke when it came to security. Inside, it sounded like pure madness. There were maybe one or two other nurses, and what looked like about a hundred patients. The room was fairly spacious, but chaos insures in this sort of place. In one corner, there was a rather older man holding a coffee cup. It was black and stained, and the man was hitting his head against the wall between sips. There was a woman peering out the window, continuously asking the nurse accompanying her where her daughter was, but the nurse was busy playing Backgammon with another girl. And more noticeably in the corner near them, there was a young man, maybe in his teens, who was staring off at the others and rocking himself. Tyler felt rather overwhelmed by everything, it was so loud. His eyes darted around at everyone and he shrunk back behind Josh in an afraid way. "I don't like it."

"It'll be just fine, Tyler." Josh tried to comfort him. "That boy in the corner looks like he needs someone to talk to. Why don't you say hello?"

"Nuh uh. I wanna go back." Tyler insisted, tugging at Josh's scrubs.

"We can't go out now, we have to stay for the hour, Ty."

The yelling is what was throwing him out of whack the most. Patients ran around him, brushed passed him, _touched him._ It was too much. "Let me out, Josh." It was firm, he meant business. "Let me out, Josh! Let me out! Let me out! I need to get out!"

"Whoa, listen to me, okay? Breathe in for five seconds, out for five seconds. Shhh..." Josh cooed while demonstrating. "This is so you can learn control, relax..."

It was working at first. Tyler understood the reason behind everything, and he was calming himself down. But Josh just didn't know how to keep his hands to himself. Maybe it was because it was etched in his mind that patients normally liked to be comforted in a hands-on way. That's what he was taught. He pressed his hands on Tyler's shoulders in a kind way.

"No! Zack, stop!" Tyler shrieked, and in an instant, Josh was shoved onto a table, wide-eyed and mouth hanging open in fear. The smaller boy leapt onto him in a sort of tackle, which caused the table to topple over backwards, and the two were wrestling around on the ground. Tyler's hands were around Josh's throat, violently banging his head on the floor with each motion of his hands. No one really sprung to action, as if they weren't noticed at all. Josh tried to get his walkie-talkie, but he was more focused on trying to breathe, and his vision was fuzzy from his head being hit so many times. The boy who had been rocking in a corner stood up and pulled the alarm lever, making an ear-piercing ring radiate through the building. Tyler was of course long gone, his other self taking his place when the violence first started.

Blurryface sprung off of Josh to cover his ears. He shook his head frantically and screamed out, as if it would make the sound stop. By the time several nurses rushed to their aid, Blurry was in a corner, rocking and muttering to himself with his face covered. " **Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop...** "

Josh was escorted to the infirmary for the second time, choking on his own spit and trying to breathe again. The nurses tried to grab Blurry, but he kicked and screamed. It took three strong men to restrain him in a straightjacket before they could bring him to his room.


	2. flashback

Chapter Text

 _"No! Zack, Stop..."_

 _"Don't do that..."_

 _"The basement is cold."_

 _"It drips down there, mama."_

 _"Zack locks me away, dad."_

 _"Just keep drinking your bourbon then."_

 _"I'm not sassing you, I'm sorry."_

 _"Please let me out."_

 _"My fingers hurt. I don't like piano."_

 _"He's drinking with his friends. I think he did other things too."_

 _"I'm not a liar!"_

 _"He hurts me."_

 _"Stop, please."_

 _"Let me out."_

 _"Mama, you believe me, don't you?"_

 _"It hurt."_

 _"Dad's passed out again."_

 _"Mom's at work."_

 _"Zack just came home."_

 _"He won't hurt me anymore."_

 _"Let me out, now."_

 _"He can't hurt me anymore."_

 _"Not now."_

 _"Goodbye."_

 _"No, I didn't stab him five times in the chest."_

 _"I smashed his head on the table too."_

 _"I took his pills."_

 _"I thought I died."_

 _"I'm in hell anyway."_


	3. crazy suicidal headcase

Josh had been scolded a lot. The incident could have been easily avoided, and now he was _sure_ he understood the extent of consequences that would happen if he touched Tyler. He hadn't been seriously hurt, just a few bruises around his throat, on his head, and on his back. If he were in a normal mindset, he would have changed primary patients. _Or quit, change his name, and move to Mexico._ But Joshua Dun was not raised a quitter, no. He shook it off, got a coffee, (Went home and called his mom,) then marched straight there the next morning.

He walked to Tyler's lone room in Ward B, confident and trying to seem stoic. However, as soon as he saw the other boy in the cell, his heart broke. Tyler sat with his back pressed against the wall, and a sterile white straightjacket holding his arms in place. His honey brown eyes were staring down at the floor. Josh couldn't help but compare his expression to that of a sad puppy. He cleared his throat while studying Tyler, but he didn't even look up.

"I'm sorry," Josh told him quietly. It was then when he realized it was his fault. He went against the only instructions he was given. Three times. "I didn't mean fo-"

"The sky is empty." Tyler spoke suddenly, voice a bit more audible than usual. "I'm screaming to an empty sky." Josh was taken aback and tilted his head.

"What?"

"I'm pleading, please, oh please. On my knees repeatedly asking why it's got to be like this. Is this living free?" Tyler was mostly talking to himself. Saying his thoughts aloud made him better understand them. "I'm _praying_ to an empty sky. Or maybe I just don't deserve the help I ask for."

Josh pondered over his words, piecing them together rather easily. He didn't know what to say. Not at all.

"I'm a puppet," Tyler continued. "Don't they tell us we're free? No way that's me. One half of my heart is free. The half that lets me say what I want. Only occasionally too. Isn't that sad?" He took a sharp inhale. "My freedom of movement is gone. I can't go home, I can't even call my mom. Not that I'd want to at this point." Not even giving Josh a chance to respond, he continued rambling. "I can't even shower on my own. It's demeaning. Can you wash me? Can you drown me?" He was pained, it was obvious. "Please?"

"Calm down, Tyler..." Josh told him finally. "I'm coming in, okay?" With that, he used his key to unlatch the room-which was actually more like a prison cell, in Josh's opinion. He cautiously stepped inside. Why was he scared? Tyler was bound in a straightjacket. He reminded himself of that fact and relaxed, kneeling down to the ground to appear less intimidating. "It's only temporary, I know."

"Everything is temporary." Tyler snapped back. "But some things last longer than others."

"I see..." He sighed and examined Tyler. "Are you hungry? Anything I can do for you?" He kindly asked. The other boy shook his head in a dismal way.

"No." He answered simply. "I'm tired. I'm hurt. And Blurryface wants me dead."

Josh was alarmed by the new information. He knew he had to tell the doctor what he had heard Tyler say, but he wanted to comfort him for now. "Tyler," He started slowly. "You don't really think he wants you dead, do you?"

"He does, I'm sure of it." His voice was softer now. Josh walked out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"I'm going to have them take that straightjacket off of you, okay?"

Tyler seemed to light up at that. "Thank you, Josh." It was then that his face contorted into a scowl. " **Now I can strangle you with both of my hands!** " He cackled for only a moment before slumping down once again. "Shh...Stop that." He whispered, closing his eyes with an exhale. Josh took that as a sign of aggression. He took immediate action and exited the room to get the doctor.

Josh told Dr. Similia that Tyler was quite obviously depressed with the straightjacket on. After a bit of persuading, he sent out two nurses along with Josh to remove the jacket. The other nurses were burly men that were to hold Tyler by his shoulders while Josh unzipped it. He felt that it was unnecessary, but the doctor insisted. Soon, they headed to ward B, and the two tough looking men entered first. Tyler stood up, a bit afraid, not knowing what they were going to do. He found himself receding into a corner.

"Hey, calm down, buddy...they're gonna hold you for a sec so I can take off that jacket." Josh cooed, trying to console him. Tyler's eyes were wide like a deer in headlights.

"No, don't touch me..." He crouched down into the corner, genuinely looking terrified. Josh didn't know what to say, so he just let it happen. The men scooped him up a bit roughly, motioning for Josh to come in. He followed the signals and stood in front of Tyler, their gazes meeting for only a moment before he got to work with taking off the complicated straps. Just as his eyes shifted away from Tyler's worried face, he heard one of the men grunt loudly, hunching over. Shocked, he looked back up to see a wild grin replacing the innocent look. Once it registered in Josh's mind that the other nurse had been kicked right where it hurts, he stumbled back. With his semi-free arms that were still held together by the stretchy fabric, he smacked the same nurse in the face with his bound hands. The other man helped his injured friend out of the room quickly, slamming the door closed so that Tyler wouldn't escape. Now Josh was alone with a very crazed looking Tyler that was halfway out of the straightjacket.

" **Hey, Joshy!** " Tyler's counterpart called to the trembling nurse. He didn't like the way he was being looked at. The mental patient was standing tall, and boy, was he twitchy. He constantly shook his head, muffling a cackle. Josh felt like prey, he was currently being stalked by Blurryface, who stood near the exit, blocking his only means of escape. " **Do you have any idea how gr-great it is to see you in here with me?!** " He was yelling. His voice was fairly deep, booming even. He wouldn't have expected Tyler to even be able to reach that octave. Blurry was now laughing loudly, throwing his head back in amusement. He kept coming close to Josh, but he kept scrambling away, trying to get to the door. Then, his laughs turned into heavy sobs. He crashed down in a heap of tears, knees to his chest, and covering his face with his mostly free arms.

Josh trembled more than he ever had, and could hardly even open the door with his shaking hands. As soon as he was on the other side, he closed the door, closing his eyes and trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. After several seconds, he was feeling a lot better, knowing he was safe. His attention was brought back to the heart-wrenching sobs that were wracking Tyler's small frame. "Ty...Tyler?" He asked quietly.

A loud sniffle could be heard. "M-Mhm..." Any anger of nearly being attacked once again was ripped from Josh's heart. He now only felt empathy for the poor soul. He looked over at Tyler, who seemed to have calmed down also. It was then that he noticed. No one had come to his rescue. Where the hell did those nurses go then? Just as that thought passed through Josh's mind, the emergency alarm went off, and his walkie sprung to life.

"All personnel report to the day room!" A woman's voice spoke, seeming panicked. Josh brought a hand to his face and shakily stood. However, a soft voice stopped him.

"S-Stay." Tyler told him, lip quivering. "Please?"

"I can't," Josh said, keeping his tone soft. "There was an emergency."

" **Fine! Go then!** " He broke back down into tears and curled up into a defensive ball. With that, Josh left, albeit sadly.

Tyler was left alone, and Blurryface resurfaced. He struggled against the restraints, and finally got he final strap to slip off. He was freed. He celebrated his victory for only a moment. He listened very closely. No one was around. With a mischievous grin, he got to work. " **This'll show them...** "

* * *

Josh groaned when he saw the scene before him. Nurses and doctors hung out a window, trying to coax an elderly woman back in. "But I want to see my daughter! I saw her out here!" The woman said, but he could hardly see her. He attempted to help, but he got pushed back by a few doctors, telling him not to crowd around her. He obeyed and stood back, watching what was unfolding. The situation ended when a doctor called out, "I got her!" And drug the woman in by her armpits, laying her on the ground. The others quickly closed the window and made sure to lock it down harder. Relieved that things calmed down, Josh started back down the hall to see Tyler. He wanted to apologize for leaving him.

The dimly lit corridor was already enough to make his stomach uneasy, but the sound he heard forced his heart into his throat. It was the sound of something banging against a wall, and loud choking. After nearly falling over in fear, he took off as fast as he could and slammed open the barred doors, not even bothering to properly shut it behind him. Before he could even comprehend what was happening before his eyes, he stumbled forward and desperately grabbed Tyler by his flailing legs, which managed to kick him in the face a few times, but that didn't bother Josh at that moment. After a very pale Tyler was splayed out on the ground, gasping for breath, Josh took in what he had witnessed. He had been hanging by the straightjacket that once bound his arms.

Tyler was coughing, hands around his throat as he struggled to breathe again. He felt pins and needles all over his body, and thought he would faint at any moment. The second that he felt able, he tore the straightjacket off of his neck and discarded it across the room, very frustrated with it. "It wasn't me, it wasn't me...I promise, it was _him,_ he wants me dead...oh god, he does..." Tyler had begun wringing his hands together compulsively. His voice was hoarse, and he still gasped for air. Josh just watched him, still trying to get over the shock. "I was up to the ceiling, oh my god...he tried to kill me..."

" **That's not until Sunday! I knew it wouldn't work. We don't get any attention around here. I did us a favor!** " The frail man suddenly spat out, then sunk down and buried his face in his hands.

"I don't want this. They'll judge me. Oh no."

" **You felt free for three whole seconds, didn't you? I know I did.** "

"No, shut up..."

Josh watched in awe as he fought with himself. Each time he switched, it was jarring. He would jerk his head and change expressions. It was scary in Josh's opinion. He backed away shakily, shutting and locking the door behind him, and straightjacket in hand. He headed straight to Dr. Simillia's office, but he still heard Blurryface's voice echoing. " **This is why mom doesn't fucking love us! You little bitch! Cry all you want! This is my vessel too!** "

* * *

The room Tyler sat in was stripped of everything after that point. All that remained was a mattress. Tyler hardly spoke to Josh, or well, any of the personnel. Dr. Similia eventually decided he needed more information about the, 'crazy suicidal head case', as most nurses referred to him. He called the only contact that was listed in Tyler's file. Kelly Joseph, his mother. Maybe a little reunion would be good for them, he thought. After all, it had been months since anything major happened. (Both good and bad.)

Mrs. Joseph was called up and Josh was asked to escort Tyler to Dr. Similia's office and accompany him to make sure things went well. Josh wordlessly opened up the barred door and Tyler stood up, wringing his hands. "Where are we go-going?" He asked softly. Josh was almost surprised by the voice. He hadn't heard him talk in a long time.

"Your mom is here, she wants to see you." Josh answered, cracking a faint smile. Tyler's face paled.

"No, no...I don't know about that..." He said wearily, eyes darting around a bit.

"The doctor thinks it's best for you. Come on..." Josh said thoughtfully. He wasn't sure if they still had bad feelings between them. Tyler exhaled slowly and obediently followed behind Josh. The office wasn't too far, much less awkward than their last walk together. As soon as they walked through the office door, Tyler's mother stood up with teary eyes.

"Oh, my baby Ty!" She cooed, leaning in to give him a hug. Her accent was faintly country-sounding. It seemed to be only noticeable on certain words. Tyler's doe eyes widened and he shuffled back, managing to stub his heel on the bottom of the desk and fall over backwards onto his bottom. Kelly froze, now having worried eyes.

"You can't touch him," Josh explained since the silence was thick with tension. "he'll...um, turn." Tyler shamefully hung his head and focused on the patterned carpet below while standing himself back up. He looked so frail in that moment. Maybe Josh just hadn't noticed until then. He was skinny, probably hadn't eaten the gross cafeteria food that was cheap and bought in bulk. He looked as if he would break if the wind blew the wrong way. He was sickly pale, cheeks sunken in. He looked dead, it was awful just to see. Josh looked up and saw Kelly sitting back down with her face in her hands. She must have noticed too.

" _Mama_ ," Came a short, wavering voice. But he couldn't finish whatever thought was going through his mind, because his mother was now audibly crying. Dr. Similia put a caring hand on her back and let out a breath through his teeth.

"Sit." He told Tyler. If it weren't for the current situation, he would have been angry. He wasn't a dog, he didn't have to obey commands. However, he was on the brink of what felt like a panic attack, so he surely would have done so whether he was asked to or not. He shakily planted himself in a chair adjacent to Kelly, keeping his eyes drilled down. Soon, sobs were replaced by sniffles, and Kelly finally looked up at her son, eyes red and puffy and lip quivering.

" _Tyler_ , honey," She said with much faltering. "what do they mean by, 'turn'? What have you done?" She took a steadying breath before continuing. "You haven't hurt someone else, have you?" Josh could see Tyler's adam's apple bobbing in his throat. His eyes were squeezed shut. He was clearly trying not to be emotional. Josh had to look away. It must be horrible to have this conversation with your own mother.

After another round of silence filled the air, Dr. Similia slid over a document to Kelly. It held all of his information. His triggers, his thoughts that he shared, his _incidents_ that occurred throughout his stay. It only took her one glance at the sheet and seeing the latest situation that occurred before she burst into tears again. Tyler knew what she had seen. _The straightjacket incident._

"That wasn't me," He tried to clarify quietly. "It wasn't-"

"Tyler _Robert_ Joseph! Are you seriously going to blame this on your imaginary friend?! For God's sake, you're 17 years old!" Kelly bellowed through her tears. It was difficult to understand her, but Tyler heard every word. "It was cute when you'd take a cookie and blame it on damn _Blurryface,_ but...this is unacceptable! What happened to you?!"

Josh swore he heard the click in Tyler's brain as he switched. By then, he knew that gleam in his eye. He knew it wasn't him that was behind them. He slammed his blackened fists down on the desk enough to cause a gasp to choke out of his mother. " **I'm here, and I'm real, bitches!** " Blurry announced, his too-wide grin spread across his face as he bared his teeth. " **You know** ** _damn_** **well that I'm real. I thought I proved that enough when I stabbed our brother! Five times in the chest, might I add.** " He brought a finger up to his lips in an attempt to suppress a school-girl giggle. Josh pulled out the taser he was given since he'd been unable to defend himself several times before. However, Dr. Similia held up his hand to halt Josh.

"Mrs. Joseph, he doesn't deal well with pressure, not at all. It's a trigger." He told her, keeping a close eye on Tyler's counterpart. Kelly just watched in horror as her son writhed around in the chair, spitting out growls every now and again. Dr. Similia swiftly guided her eyes to a certain part on the document. _Dissociative Identity Disorder._ She swallowed thickly and looked back up. Thankfully, Tyler had switched back and was currently muttering empty apologies at no one in particular, sinking further down in the chair. "You must understand that he's not making this up. We ran tests, thorough tests."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Kelly muttered, fanning her eyes briefly. "That wasn't fair of me to say, Tyler. I just...Your brother's not right. He's traumatized, he can't sleep."

Tyler nearly choked. _Zack was alive._ "He doesn't deserve to be alive!" _Zack did horrible, unspeakable things._ "I haven't regretted anything, whether it was me who did it or not!" _He shouldn't be alive. Neither of them._ "You let everything happen! You didn't do anything to s-stop it!"

"He only picked on you because you were getting all the attention! It's all you ever seeked!" Kelly retorted. "You'd...You'd hurt yourself just to get sympathy from us!"

"No I didn't! You're blowing me off _again,_ mom! Just listen!" Tyler choked out breathlessly. "Zack would lock me up in the basement while his drug dealer came over! He'd make me steal money from dad while he was passed out-"

"Stop it right there! That's not true!" Kelly stood herself up. "The drugs were in _your_ room, Tyler! We told the police that's why you stabbed him!"

"That _bastard_ hid his shit in my room?!" Tyler covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. He was once again, on the verge of a panic attack. It was then that Blurryface resurfaced.

He stood up abruptly and aggressively leaned over towards his mom. Josh held out the taser again, and Blurry backed off. " **What're you gonna do with that, Joshua? I'm too** ** _quick_** **for you!"** He sharply leaned forward at Josh, and he dropped the taser in response, afraid. Blurryface then snatched up the taser and lunged at his mom, who promptly leaped out of the way.

"Tyler, put that down!"

" **When will you learn, woman!? My name's Blurryface. And I care what you think.** "


	4. The wrists of my mind's bleeding lines

**You guys are awesome, thanks for commenting!**

Josh and the doctor immediately leapt to help Kelly, who was backed into a corner by her son. Josh gripped onto Blurryface's scrawny arms roughly, earning a growl. They began struggling against each other's arms, but Josh kept the taser away from himself by holding his wrists firmly. While they were fighting over the taser, Dr. Similia was trying to convince Kelly to leave the room with him, but she refused to go, frozen in fear. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She weakly called out. "Stop it!" But it was ignored.

" **Joshy, I thought you caaared about me? Let go, you're** ** _hurting my wrists…_** " His voice lowered at the end, sounding a lot like Tyler's usual tone. His eyes were wide and afraid, lip quivering. Josh let go almost instantly. He didn't know why he did it so easily. Maybe because the sight of Tyler looking so pained hurt his heart and made his stomach churn. As soon as he did so, he felt intense pain right in his neck, but he couldn't move other than his body spasming uncontrollably. Once his ability to process the situation was back, he realized he'd been tased by Blurryface. He fell onto the ground just as fast as that realization came. Josh was unable to move, just lying on the floor.

Tyler switched back to himself with a loud intake of breath. The clank of the taser falling from his relaxed hand to the floor startled him. He was being stared at by Dr. Similia and his mother. Their expressions were full of fear and concern. Tyler swallowed whatever lump had been building up in his throat and looked down at a quite possibly unconscious Josh. His legs acted before his mind; he ran. He bursted out the door of the office and took off down the hall, ignoring whatever they were screaming at him. It was all tuned out. He briefly considered simply retreating to his room. After all, he didn't know the layout of the mental hospital too well. However, his anxiety (And the voice in his head) was convincing him to do otherwise. He bumped into several wandering patients that were trying to get to a different place, but one of them grabbed the fabric of his jumpsuit and pulled him close.

The patient stared at him with wide dark chocolate eyes and ran a hand over his matching hair in a seemingly nervous way. "Have you seen my friend Dallon?! I can't find him." His voice was shaky but firm. Tyler desperately yanked out of his grasp, but the patient only yelled after him. "You didn't shut the goddamn door!"

Tyler tripped over things he didn't bother looking at. He needed to get away. Not even the loud blaring alarm stopped him. Nurses were being alerted to catch him, he knew. Just as that thought crossed his mind, a male nurse attempted to tackle him. He slipped out of reach and looked behind him, tears streaming down his face. When had he started crying? As he was turned back, another nurse managed to pin him on the ground. And that's when he began screaming. His yells were easily heard over the alarms and commotion. They were loud and broken. Crumbly, even.

He was dragged away, kicking his lanky legs, hollering and struggling with all he could muster. It didn't die down even when he was placed in his room. He was crying and pulling at his hair and just overall having a tantrum. He couldn't even recall why he was so upset. All he knew was that his voice was raw from screaming and there wasn't enough air getting into his lungs and his heart was beating way too fast and his limbs were numb and-

"He's having a panic attack! Stump, get a sedative!"

-His world was spinning and he was hurt and exhausted and wishing it _would just go away._ He hadn't heard the door swing open, and he hadn't felt the needle jammed into his neck with precision, and he _certainly_ didn't notice when his fears and pain faded away along with his consciousness.

* * *

"T-Ty, _honey,_ are you awake?"

His head was throbbing harshly with a migraine. He groaned and felt confused for several seconds. His mom was waking him up for school. That thought lingered until he opened his eyes. He was immediately deflated upon realizing he was still in the hospital. They must have taken advantage of his unconscious state, since the black paint was washed off his arms and he arguably felt cleaner. He wouldn't blame them. He always did put up a fight when it came to taking a bath, but that was only because they wouldn't allow him to bathe himself. His eyes then widened as he realized that _his arms weren't covered anymore._ Scars that he wanted to forget about were on display. He let out a slow breath and remembered he'd heard his mother's voice. His gaze flickered up and he immediately looked down once again. "I'm sorry, mom…" He hummed, curling himself up.

Kelly stuck a hand through the bars and patted him on the head. He winced, but it wasn't too bad, so he eased into the touch. After all, it was his mother. "The nice doctors took some time to get me to understand what's going on with you, sweetie." She told him in a light tone. Tyler sighed in response.

"Okay…" He whispered, closing his eyes. He felt almost peaceful now, having some form of comfort. His mind jumped back to what had happened previously and his eyes shot open again. "Where's Josh?" Kelly chewed on her lip.

"He went home for today. He'll be back, I'm sure." She reassured. Tyler decided that he'd make sure to apologize to him. After that thought, he realized how long it had been since they held a conversation. Maybe Josh wouldn't want to talk to him after all of this. He frowned at the thought of it. He'd seemed like the kindest nurse. Like the kindest _person._ Kelly noticed his absence and sighed loud enough to get his attention again. "I want to ask you something, but please don't get upset, okay?" Tyler gave a slow nod to urge her to continue. "Was Zack _really_ doing drugs? He told your father and I that _you_ were." He shook his head forcefully.

"It was him. He made my life hell." He explained with a gruff exhale. "I wouldn't lie. You know that." Kelly pulled her hand away from Tyler and stood up.

"We'll need to talk then. I'm so sorry, Ty." She cooed. "I'll come back another time, okay? And-and I'll call..." She promised with a pained expression before starting to walk out.

"Don't say that, it's our mom." Tyler whispered softly to himself. "That's really mean. I'd never say that." Kelly brought a hand to her mouth upon hearing him. She walked more swiftly and got out of there quickly. It hurt her to see her son like that.


End file.
